You Say Hello

Another new all-ages venue popped up this month. The newly minted concert haven is a mashup of 1Kind Studios, a for-profit recording studio/performance space, and the Albuquerque Arts Consortium, a nonprofit group seeking to cultivate and nurture new artists.

The "Metal Gods" return to Earth

By Flavia Salazar

K.K. Downing's reputation is pinned to a thin, metal rod called the whammy bar. Within notes of speed-metal bangers like “Sinner,” there's no room for doubt whose hands are working the pitch-bending piece of guitar hardware. But as signature as Downing's unleashed leads are, his ability to work in tandem with other musicians may be his most important asset. He and fellow founding Judas Priest guitarist Glenn Tipton's seamless twin-lead sound holds an ungodly amount of sway in classic heavy metal.

Oh, to live in Zach Gill’s world. The troubles of the planet are miles away, and the biggest concerns of the day involve people touching his stuff. It’s nice to visit this fantasy land, complete with a thick slice of organ, a lazy ocean wave tempo and Gill’s deep, whispery voice. Unfortunately, there’s not much to do in this surfer theme park, and sometimes you'd rather tell the good vibes to buzz off. But Gill, who’s also Jack Johnson’s go-to piano man, provides a release from life’s pressures, if only for a moment. (SM)